Clutch.



E. A. DE WATERS.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 8. l-Ql]. 1,287,257. Patented Dec. 10, M8

2 SHEETS-SHEET L.

E. A. DE WAT RS. CLUTCH.

APPLICATIQN FILED QCT. 37.1911

1,287,25 Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

2 SHEETSS HEET 2.

a2 fifwmw Jim ENOE A. DE WATERS, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL @TAWYS hair are ,1:

RATION, 013. DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CCRPOBATION F DELAV/ARE.

CLUTCH.

128K411) to Application filcdbctober 8, 1917. Serial No. 195,302.

To rzZZ when 7'2? may concern:

Be it known that l, Enos A. DE WATERS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Flint. in the county of Gencsee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a speci fication, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings. 7

The invention relates to clutches for rotary transmission shafts of that type known as multiple-disk and it is the object of the invention to reduce the inertia factor in the driven member. it is usual in the construc tion or clutches of this type to provide a series of parallcllvarranged disks which are alternately keyed to the drive and drivennicpihers. These disks are brought into frictional contact by resilient pressure of the clutch spring whenever the controlli pedal is released, the pressure being applied through the medium of a clamp usually mounted on the driven member. Whenever the clutch is released, the inertia of the lrivcn member will cause it to continue to revolve, and the greater the mass and the greater the averagc clistance of the same from the axis of rotation, the larger will be this inertia factor. Thus to avoid clashing ot the transmission gears fduring the shifting thereof time must be given for the driven pa t to come to substantial rest.

l i ith the present invention I have greatly reduced this inertia factor by removing the heavy clamping plat-cs and actuating spring -'rom the driven member. This has the advantage not only of reduction in mass but also of removing that portion of the mass "hich is farthest "from the axis of rotation and which consequently er res the greatest torque. [is a result the driven member when released will quickly come to rest and without the necessity of applying a brake, as is sometimes done.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudii'ral section through the clutch;

Fig. 2 is a view thereof partly in elevation and partly in cross-section taken on line A. is the; engine crank-shaft, B the tlywheel and 3 a multipledisk clutch arranged within the fiv-wheel. This clutch comprises a series of driving disks D D. etc. and an alternate series of driven disks E E, eta,

Patented these being parallelly arranged concentric to the axis 0! the shaft. The disks D D, etc, are anchored so as to revolve with the flywheel by peripheralIIy-cngaging bolts or studs l1. and the disks E E. etc., are con nected at their inner edges to bearings G on a spider or hub member H. which in turn 7 is mounted on the driven shaft I; Both the series of disks are free to move toward or from each other parallel to the axis of 1 0- tation and therefore it" clamping pressure is applied to the opposite ends of the series the disks will be contact.

The clamping; means for the disks coinprises the clamping plate J which is arranged to bea against the outer end of the series of disks and a clamping plate K arranged at the inner end thereof. The clamping plate J is fixedly secured to the fly-wheel B by means of a shouldered engagement with the outer ends of the studs F. The inner clamping plate slidably engages said anchoring studs F and thus both plates are compelled to revolve with the flvwheel. The inner clamping-plate is of a n-.

nular form and the central aperture therein is of sutlicient diameter to clear the spider o1- hub H, together with the bearing G thereon. On the other hand, the outer disk J extends inward but in a plane outside of the hub H and bearings (l. and is provided with an inwardly-extending cylindrical flange L entering a recess in the hub H and terminating in a spring abutment flange M. N, is a third plate which is arranged outside of the plate- J and which is connectedby tie-bolts 0 with the inner clamping plate K and this plate N extends inward so as to torn: an opposite abutment for the spring P, which latter is sleeved about the shaft and hub, one end engaging said plate N and the other the abutment flange M upon the cylindrical tiangeL.

With the construction as described the of disks to brine the same into frictional Contact. To release. the clutch pressure is nee. t0, isle.-

pressed into frictional applied to the outer plate N through the 110 v it' l medium of any; suitable operating mechanism (not, shown). cause the compression of the spring P against the abutment M, which latter together with the plate J to" which it is at,- tached is held 't'rom movement by the shoul- .dered studs F. .()n the otherhand, the

plate K, which is connected by the tie-rods O with the plate N, will be moved inward, thereby relieving the clamping pressure on the series of disks and permitting the disks EE to freely slide.

It will be observed that when thus released the driven member. comprising the spider G and disks E-E. is free to come to rest, and as the parts composing this member are of relatively small mass the inertia factor'is correspondingly small.

What- I claim as my invention is: v l. A clutch coinprising a; series of'alternately arrangedannular drive'and driven disks, a driven member arranged within and connected to the driven disks. a driving member arranged outside of and connected to the driving disks, clamping lates at opposite ends of the series of dis s rotatively connected to said driving member, one of said plates being longitudinally fixed and the other longitudinally movable, a spring within said disks and connections between said spring and said clam-ping plates to cause the yield-able engagement'of the latter.

2. A clutch. comprising a series of alter .nately arranged drive and'driven disks. a

driven member within the driven disks having a spline connection therewith. a driving member. a pair of clamping plates tor the series of disks secured to said driving member at one side thereof to be rotatively fixed in relation thereto. the clamping plate nearest adjacent the driving member being longitudinally movable and the other clamping plate longitudinally fixed. a third plate arranged on the opposite side of said fixed plate from said movable plate. a tie-connection between said third plate and the movable plate. and a spring interposed between said third plate and fixed pla'teexerting a yieldable pressure for actuating said clamping plates to clamp the series.

A clutch, comprising alternately arranged anm1lar.-drive and driven disks, a hub within said disks having a splined engagement with the driven members thereof, a driving: member having a splined engagement with the driving members of said disks, clamping plates arranged at opposite ends ot' the series androtati'vely fixcdto said driving member. one of said plates being also longitudinally fixed and the other A longitudinally adjustable in relation to said member, a spring arranged witlrinsaid disks and within an annular recess in said hub member. an abutment tor the inner end of said spring connected to said fixed clamp This pressure will- 1 some? ing plate, a plate forming an abutment tor the opposite end of said spring, and a tieconnection between said plate and the movable clamping plate.

l. A clutch, comprising a series of alternately arranged annular drive and driven disks, a hub within the series of disks having a splined engagement with the driven members thereof, said hub havin an annular recess in its outer side, a driving memlJQlZ'SllldS mounted on said driving member and engaging said driving disks to hold the same from relative rotary movement, clamping plate for the outer end of the series ot disks fixedly secured to said studs, a clamping plate for the-inner end OfSfllKll series of disks slidably mounted on said studs. a plate outside of said fixed clamping plate, tie connections between said outer plate and the inner clamping plate, a spring 5. it clutch comprising a series oil alter nately arranged annular drive and driven disks, a driven member arranged within and connected to the driven disks, connected to the driving disks, a pair of clamping plates rotatively connected to the fly-wheel. one ot' said plates being longit e dinally slidable between said disks and the fly-wheel and the other longitudinally fined at the other side of the disks, and a spring acting upon the slidable clamping plate to actuate the same to clamp the disks.

6. A clutch. comprising a series of alternately arranged annular drive and driven disks. a driven member arranged within and connected to the driven disks, e. fly-wheel connected to the driving disks, a pair of clamping plates rotatively connected to the fly-wheel. one of said plates being longitudinally slidable between said disks and the member. a pair of clamping plates for the series of disks secured to said driving member to be rotatively fixed in relation thereto. the clamping plate nearest adjacent the driving member being longitudinally movable relative to said member and the other "clamping plate bein longitudinally fixed.

a third late arranged on the opposite side Oi. Mull xed plate from sa d movable plate. a plurality of tie connections peripherally a tly-wheel lit-3 connecting the sliding plate and said third plate extending outside of said disks, and a spring interposed between said third plate and the fined.x clamping plate exerting a yieldable pressure for actuating said clamping plates to clamp the disks.

8. A clutch, comprising a series of alternately arranged annular drive and driven disks, a hub within said disks having a rotative engagement with the driven members thereof, said hub being formed with an an nular recess, a driving member having a rotative engagement with the driving mem- ENOS A. DE WATERS. 

